African-American History

It was also announced today that the Rev. Andrew Young, former U.S. Congressman, Mayor of Atlanta and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, will be delivering the keynote address at The Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday, Jan. 15, 2001. The thirty-third annual King Center Commemorative Service program will mark Dr. King's seventy-second birthday, and the fifteenth anniversary of the King Holiday.

The Center's Salute To Greatness Awards are presented to individuals and corporate citizens in recognition of outstanding contributions toward building Dr. King's “Beloved Community.” The recipients are recognized for achievements that improve the quality of life for all, forge valuable partnerships with the corporate community, and advance the quest for social justice and world peace. The King Center's Salute To Greatness Award, which was presented for the first time in 1983, is one of the King Center's highest honors.

“We are honoring Stevie Wonder for his superb artistry, personal commitment to social causes and his leadership in support of the passage of the King Holiday. We will recognize Time Warner, Inc. for their outstanding spirit of public service, social responsibility, and commitment to Dr. King's teachings,” said Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Founder of the King Center. “Stevie Wonder and Time Warner have made invaluable contributions to the work that continues in Martin's name.” As the spiritual hallmark of the King Holiday Observance, The Annual Commemorative Service will be held in the Heritage Sanctuary of Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Ambassador Young marched with Dr. King and served as a key member of his staff in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Young serves on the board of the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc. “Ambassador Young is one of the most knowledgeable and respected leaders in the world today and one of the most ardent supporters of my father's world view,” said Dexter Scott King, Chairman, President and CEO of the King Center. “We are honored that he will be this year's keynote speaker at this event, and we look forward to hearing his vision and wisdom in is King holiday message.”

Many nationally known leaders are expected to join Ambassador Young on the program at the Commemorative Service. Leaders such as U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, Former H.U.D. Secretary Jack Kemp, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Dexter Scott King, Yolanda King, Rev. Bernice A. King, and Mrs. Christine King-Farris.

The prototype for religious services held across the nation in honor of Dr. King, The King Center's Commemorative Service is an ecumenical celebration of his life and legacy through prayers, tributes, music and scriptural readings. WAGA-TV Fox 5 will televise the service live for the 28th year.

The theme for the King Holiday, “Remember! Celebrate! Ad! A Day On ... Not A Day Off!” urge followers of Dr. King and his nonviolent philosophy to honor his memory and commemorate his life and legacy by engaging in humanitarian service projects. In recent years, the holiday has become a national day of service and interracial cooperation, featuring diverse community action projects in hundreds of cities and towns across the nation and world. The Martin Luther King, Jr. 2001 Holiday Observance will be observed in some form in more than 100 nations around the world.

Other key Atlanta events scheduled during the 2001 King Holiday Observance, January 11-15, include:

• “A King Celebration” with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - January 11-12, 2001, 8:00 p.m., at the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College. The ASO performance to honor Dr. King will be recorded and re­broadcast by National Public Radio on the King Holiday. National Public Radio is a consortium partner with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, The King Center, Morehouse College, and Spelman College in bringing this program to Atlanta. More information may be obtained by calling The King Center, 404-526-8900, the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, 404-733-5000, or by visiting http://www.atlantasymphony.org.

• State of Georgia Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission Awards Program - Jan. 12, 2001, noon, at The State Capitol. This year's program is entitled “Honoring the Contributions of Women in the Movement.” More information may be obtained by calling 404-657-8240.

• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Summit - Saturday-Monday, Jan. 13-15. Co-sponsored with Hands On Atlanta, the Service Summit is a conference exploring ways ordinary citizens can make a difference in the world. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Hands On Atlanta, 404-872-2252.

• The King Center Salute to Greatness Awards Dinner- Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001, 7:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Atlanta. This event is the primary fundraising event for The King Center and will honor artist, entertainer and activist Stevie Wonder and Time Warner, Inc.-represented by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gerald M. Levin.

• Book signing in the King Center Atrium – “A Call to Conscience,” a newly-released collection of Dr. King's landmark speeches, edited by Dr. Clayborne Carson, who is the editor of the King Papers Project, with an introduction by Ambassador Young. Other King books available include “A Knock at Midnight,” a book of Dr. King's memorable sermons, “The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” and “Volume Four of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” all edited by Dr. Carson. On hand for the signing will be King Center Founder Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Ambassador Andrew J. Young, and Dr. Clayborne Carson.

Additional information may be obtained by calling 404-526-8900 or by visiting http://www.thekinqcenter.orq.